It is known to relay on mammography in conjunction with a needle cannula having a probe wire therein for localization of a presymptomatic, non-palpable breast lesion. In such procedure, a needle cannula having a wire sheathed therein is inserted so that the distal end of the needle is located at about the tissue area of pathological alteration; desirably at less than 2 cm from the lesion. A mammogram is then taken to confirm the probe position. If the probe does not accurately relate to the lesion, then the probe is relocated, or an additional probe may be inserted, and a further mammogram is taken. When the probe location is acceptable, then the cannula needle is removed and the patient transferred to surgery for lesion excision.
Obviously, removal of the lesion with minimal tissue damage will relate to maintenance of the wire's distal end as determined by the final mammographic examination.
In the instance of a straight wire probe, as for instance the Bueno Probe manufactured by Micro-Machining of Claremont, N.H., taping-down or otherwise fixing an extending portion of the wire does not prevent movement of the wire's distal end upon breast movement and expansion after the initial probe procedure.
It is known to use a probe wire having a bend at its distal end whereby when the cannula needle is removed, the bend or hook portion anchors in the tissue. Such known bent or hooked probe wires are for instance the Frank Breast Biopsy Probe manufactured by Randall-Faichney of Avon, Mass., and the Kopans Probe manufactured by Cook, Inc. of Bloomington, Ind. These known, hooked type localization probes have a disadvantage in that once the wire is anchored it can only be removed by resection. Thus, the Kopans Probe would have to be mammographically finally positioned whole its wire element is completely sheathed in the cannula needle. If, after cannula removal, the resultant hook location is unsatisfactory, then another probe means must be inserted.
Hence, the known bent or hooked probe wires have in effect a one-time anchoring use. Further, if more than one wire is relied on, then each anchored wire must be surgically removed with consequent excision of tissue in addition to that of the lesion.